Can end coating machine



Oct. 30, 1951 s. R. JOHNSON ETAL CAN END COATING MACHINE Filed Dec. 2s, 1948 Patented ct. 30, 17951 .,GQATINGgMACHINE `Sc'o'tt"R. `:Johnson Aa'ni Ralph MfMero, Chicago, Ill., assgnors to #Gontinental Can Company, iInc., New York, Y., acorporation'fof .New

York

:This invention has Ato 'do 'with `new -and *useful improvements ina canend coating machine. -Ifn the v patent grantedNelson Troyer and Merton L. Dodge, August 16, 1927, 'No 11,639,1'18'there is shown a can end coating machine which includes arotating turret-having-mountedthereon a series of coating or lining units. Each unit includesa pair rof chucks between which -a can end -is mounted. Mea-ns is provided -for rotating --the chucks. Associated with-the chucks is V-a -nozzle which is disposed over the channel in the -can end for directing a -coating material into the channel. Associated `with `the nozzle ris la needle valve. The needle valve is operated by a control cam land devices which are so .timed as to open the valve Vfor a coating operation after which lthe valve vis closed. l

The machine also includes means "whereby Athe valve :actuating :devices are rendered inoperative so that the 4val-ve remains closed Aprovided :there is no :can end to be Jcoated. "Thesmeansswhich renders the -valve operating rmec'hanism inoperative includes :latches which are so ,disposed 3that when itis tdesiredto Vstop the machine 'the :latch may be released so that :the valve .actuated therebyisclosed.

An. object of .the.present'rinventionlislto.provide a means for. automatically.-closing.the-valves controlling the coating @of '.the Aends inscase :themachine A.is stopped so fthat -a :canl-en-d being Ncoated will fnotfreceivesan excess :of coating material.

A -furtlxer object: of the 'invention kis to fprovide centrifugally operatedrcontrol devices forreleasing :the coating valves so `'that thesprings :associated therewith .will vclose the same3-when z'the machine stops, which. control.meansfisfineiectiiac whenthe `machine isfoperating at fhigh .rorzloiw speeds.

Figure l isa -viewpmore or less diagrammatic and invertical'section-showing a portion of one of the coating units and the valve actuating mechanism therefor and also ythe means for automatically closing the `valveswhcn fthezmachine stops, the control means for :the valve being shown in the positionit assumes when the machine is'in operation.

Figure "2 is a view similarito Figure 1 but shows thecontrolmeans in-t-he-positionfit-assumes when the machine is stopped.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional View showing the nozzle and the valve controlling the same, and its relation to the can end being lined.

The machine to which the present improvement has been applied is the same as that shown and described in the Troyer et al. patent supra.

and 1only the 'parts essential to `the vcarrying out of -the present Ainvention are shown and will be desoribed-indetail- The ca-n -end -is -indicated jat'C. The can end is clamped between a lower vchuck Hl and an upper chuck Il. These chucks 'are rotated "oy suitable mechanism. Associated `Awith the chucks is acoating 4nozzle -I'2. This Vcoa-ting nozzle t2 is provided with apassage -I-3 leading to a passage Il. The passage I4 connected 'to a VVsupply tank sprovided' with coating'material. The `nozzle includes a nipple I5 which is -secured to `the nozzle by ameans -of althreaded collar I6. This nipple has ra small opening disposed directly above 3the-channel3l1 inthe can end and-through this opening #the coating material-news on-to the canend.

,Associated withfthe nipple I5 is -a .needle Valve L8. The :needle .valve 48 is 'rigidly-connected to a rod t9. Adiaphragm 20 -is secured t0 `this rod I3 .and .this diaphragm :is :clamped to the su-pporting bracket 4for the nozzle lso as to -provide a fluid ,tight connection between `Lthe :rod .I9 land the chamber in thenozzlezbracket.

.There .is 3an;actuatingrcam32 I which. is :provided witha camrgroovez Ain .whicha roller 23 runs. The roller 23 .fisfcarriedby ya leverzZA pivotedvat 25 to a vpost 2 6 which .extends upwardly .through abearing sleevezll carried by.a,bracketi 28 which is :securedby bolts Z9 to the frame of .the ma.- chine. The rod I9 carrying theincedle :valve extends upwardly through .thezupper frame :member 3|] ,of the turret ofgthe machineanda spring 3.|bearing.againsttheiframe,memberrandiagainst a collar 32 fixed ,togthe ,rod I9 tends'to move :the rod downwardly v.and to close Vthe ,needle valve T helevel 2.4 extends :beyondthe pivot and has a .rounded head 33 engaging ,hetweenspaced co1.- lars 332 .and ,-134 on the rod .1.9. When `rthe .roller 23 is moved I:downwardlybythe cam groove .122 then ether-lever `will 4 he oscillated .so1as to .lift the needle l'valve `and permit the-,coating material to W ntothe channelen the can end. .This cam groote- 221s .so `vshaped that :the needle fvalvteis;

Openedronly ;a:sucient timeiorra coating .operation after :which ,itis :closed so that the oated can fend can he removed from the :chucks jand another u.end :placed fbetween @the -:chucks A:for :the next coatingfcneration. Y

The post 26 is locked in raised position by means of a latch arm 35 pivoted at 36 to the bracket 28. This latch arm carries a hardened metal plate 31 which is adapted to engage beneath a shoulder 38 on the plate 39 attached to the post. When the latch is in the position shown in Figure 1, downward movement of the post is prevented and the roller moving downwardly in the can gro-ove 22 will lift the rod I9 and open the nozzle for a coating operation.

Centrally of the upper chuck ll is a rod 46. This rod carries a pad 4l which rests on a can end C when there is a can end placed between the chucks. When the rod is -held in its raised position, the upper end 42 of the rod 4l] engages beneath an abutment arm 43 mounted for free movement on the pivot pin 36. There is a spring 44 between this abutment plate and the latch. The abutment plate rests on the upper end of the rod 4U which will be held raised by the carf downwardly by the spring 45. This releases the support for the abutment plate 43, and the decreased c-ompression of the spring 44 will permit centrifugal force resulting from rotation of the member 3B when the machine is operating to move the latch arm 35 to the open position shown in Figure 2. When the latch is moved to the open position the post 26 is released and permitted to move downwardly.

The downward movement of roller 22 caused by the continuous movement of the cam 2l will then be ineiective to lift the needle valve and said valve will be held closed by the pressure of the spring 3l when released.

Applicants improvement resides in devices which are automatically brought into action when the machine stops for releasing the latches so that if the needle valve is open it will be moved to closed position by the spring 3|. The bracket 28 extends upwardly so as to overhang the latch 35 as indicated at 28a. Mounted on the inner face of this extension of the bracket 28 is a lever 46 which is pivoted to the extension at 47. The lower end of this lever 46 is provided with a rounded portion 48 which lies close to the latch when the latch and lever are positioned as shown in Figure 1. However, at this time the lever 46 does not in any way prevent the releasing of the latch if there is no end to be coated.

Mounted on the extension 28a is an arm49 which is pivoted to the extension at 56. Said arm 49 is provided with a bracket portion 5l to which a cylindrical weight 52 is bolted. This bracket portion carries an arm 53, the free end 54 of which lies close to the end 55 of the lever 46. When the machine is in operation this weighted member 52 will be swung outwardly from the vertical line of suspension by centrifugal force and will be positioned as shown in FigureV 1. When however the machine stops then the weighted member will swing back to a vertical suspended position as shown in Figure 2.

When the machine is in operation the weight assumes the position shown in Figure 1 and the lever 46 is out of contact with the end 54 of the bracket 5 I. It is also out of contact with the latch so that the control means for releasing the latch when there is no end to be coated is free to operate. If the machine is stopped then the weight 52 will swing to the position shown in Figure 2 and the end 54 of the arm 53 will engage the end 55 of lever 46 and move the lever to the position shown in Figure 2. This swinging movement of the lever 46 causes the end 48 thereof to engage the latch 35 and move the same so as to release the post 26. When the post is released so that it can move downwardly, the spring 3| will force the rod I9 downwardly for closing the valve.

There is a weight associated with each coating unit and these weights operate automatically when the machine is stopped to render the valve actuating mechanism inoperative and also release the valves so that the springs associated therewith will move the valves to closed position.

It is obvious that minor changes in the details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A machine for coating can ends comprising a rotatable turret, a plurality of coating units carried by said turret, each unit including a rotatable chuck for supporting the can end to be coated, a coating nozzle associated with said chuck, a valve controlling said nozzle, an actuating cam and devices operated thereby for opening and closing said valve for a coating operation, said cam actuating devices including a fulcrum post, a latch for holding the fulcrum post in raised position for permitting the actuating cam to open the valve, devices associated with the chuck for releasing the latch when there is no can end to be coated, and gravity actuated devices operating independently of said iirst named devices for automatically releasing the latch for causing the valve associated therewith to close when the machine stops with a can end on the chuck.

2. A machine for coating can ends comprising a rotatable turret, a plurality of coating units carried by said turret, each unit including a rotatable chuck for supporting the can end to be coated, a coating nozzle associated with said chuck, a valve controlling said nozzle, an actuating cam and devices operated thereby for opening and closing said valve for a coating operation, said cam actuating devices including a fulcrum post, a latch for holding the fulcrum post in raised position for permitting the actuating cam to open the valve, devices associated with the chuck for releasing the latch when there is no end to be coated. a weighted member movable by centrifugal force away from the latch when the machine is inoperation and toward the latch by gravity when the machine is stopped, and devices operated by the weighted member for releasing the latch when the machine is stopped to cause the valve to close when a can end is on the chuck.

SCOTT R. JOHNSON. RALPH M. MERO.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Troyer Aug. 16, 1927 Number 

